Ambassador Okuda’s Official Visit to Saskatchewan
Ambassador Okuda made an official visit to the Province of Saskatchewan from February 2nd to 5th. In the provincial capital, Regina, he met with a number of dignitaries including the Honourable Tim McMillan, Minister Responsible for Energy and Resources and Minister Responsible for Trade, the Honourable Lyle Stewart, Minister of Agriculture and the Honourable Rob Norris, Minister of Advanced Education.
While In Saskatchewan, Ambassador Okuda visited the training facility of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and met with Mr. Victor Sawa, Honourary Council General of Japan in Regina, as well as officials from province-managed companies and representatives from Japanese-Canadian associations.
Ambassador Okuda also visited the province’s largest city, Saskatoon, where he attended the agriculture and trade summit hosted by the Government of Saskatchewan as a distinguished guest. At the University of Saskatchewan, he had a meeting with the University President, followed by a visit to the University’s research institutions where he shared his views on the promotion of academic exchange.
Saskatchewan is one of the largest grain producing regions in Canada and very rich in natural resources. The province of Saskatchewan and Japan have maintained a highly cooperative relationship over the years. Japan imports a significant amount of crops, such as rapeseeds and wheat, as well as mineral resources like uranium and potassium, which makes Japan the third largest exporter for the Province of Saskatchewan in the world. Moreover, the province has the latest research institutions in Canada as well as strong growth in business.
Over the meetings, Ambassador Okuda expressed his expectations of further strengthening the relationship between the Province of Saskatchewan and Japan, not only in the field of trade, but also in the high-tech field including Carbon Dioxide Capture technology.
Throughout this official visit, we reaffirmed the contribution and powerful presence of Japanese companies over the years in Saskatchewan. Provincial officials also expressed the province’s keen interest in expanding trade and investment ties with Japan as well as further promotion of research collaboration and student exchange. Ambassador Okuda expressed his commitment to strive to meet these expectations.
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